Jesse Mulley often found himself fabricating orders at McDonald’s, pretending they were for a family, only to consume the entire feast alone once he returned home.
Fridays marked the start of his weekend ritual, where he would stock up on treats from the local supermarket. His shopping list included two massive bags of chips, twin 2-liter soda bottles, and a stash of candy, all intended to last through the weekend but typically demolished by the stroke of midnight.
At the age of 33, Mulley, who worked remotely in tech support and was deeply engrossed in gaming, had reached a weight that exceeded the 525-pound capacity of his scale. He estimates his weight was around 560 pounds.
Despite previous attempts to shed pounds, Mulley found that dieting often backfired, resulting in even more weight gain.
His ventures into weight loss included joining Weight Watchers and trying the keto diet alongside his mother, both of which led to episodes of binge eating. Even his father’s suggestion of taking frequent strolls around the block proved ineffective.
Although he had heard of weight loss medications, Mulley dismissed them, doubting their efficacy in his situation.
Mulley felt stuck and destined to be the same size forever.
It was only when the Canadian stumbled across a crucial piece of advice while ‘doom scrolling’ in October 2022 that the fast-food-and-pizza-only eater realized what he was doing wrong. He had finally found the key to unlock his weight loss.
Jesse Mulley, now 36 years old, weighed more than 550lb at his heaviest (above). He slashed his weight by changing his lifestyle and adopting a simple diet rule
Mulley has now lost more than 300lb. In addition to restricting his calories, he also started weight lifting to help with his weight loss journey
Within three months, Mulley had shed 100lb.
And over the next three years and four months, he lost more and more weight, totaling over 300lb – his end weight was around 230lb.
‘One night, I was watching random YouTube videos,’ Mulley told the Daily Mail. ‘I came across a video, it was something like, “seven reasons you can’t lose weight.”
‘And, for whatever reason, I clicked on it even though I never watch health content – I was so far from wanting to work on my health, I had completely given up at that point – and one of [the video’s] points was, every time you try to lose weight, you end up just giving up. And, if you give up, of course, you’re not going to be successful.
‘That was the biggest shift in my mindset, where I thought, “Ok, well, I have to start making changes, but I also can’t quit.”‘
He said persevering became ‘literally the main priority’ in the next phase of his journey.
‘Even if progress is slow, even if I get frustrated, even if I have a cheat meal, I know I just won’t quit,’ Mulley recalled thinking.
The day after viewing the video, he started trying again to lose weight – this time guided by one rule: he could not quit.
He made a new diet plan that focused on high-protein, low-fat and low-carb foods and excluded snacks.
A diet high in protein is important for weight loss because protein can slash hunger cravings by slowing digestion and stomach emptying, helping someone to feel fuller for longer.
Mulley said he was able to kickstart his weight loss by clinging to a single goal: he just could not quit. Above, at his heaviest
For breakfast, Mulley would have a bowl of the high-protein Truly cereal, for lunch a southwest-style salad with two chicken breasts, and for dinner he’d eat a shake containing 72g of protein.
Overall, this diet included about 1,200 calories and 176g of protein per day.
It was above the FDA-recommended daily protein intake of 110 to 140g for young men, but well below their advice for this group to eat about 2,200 calories daily.
Mulley admitted that, looking back, his calorie intake was a bit too restrictive.
Officials recommend eating about 500 to 1,000 fewer calories per day than you need in order to lose weight.
Mulley was not sure how many calories he was eating per day before starting his weight loss plan, but admitted the number was likely much higher than the daily recommendation.
He also worked in exercise as part of his plan – first walking up and down the stairs and then purchasing a VR headset to get himself to move while he was gaming.
The weight loss was rapid during these first three months.
Mulley said there were moments when he was doubled over with hunger pangs, but rather than quit, he tried to distract his brain by going for a walk or engaging in any other movement that would help.
He joined a gym in January 2023 after losing his first 100lbs. There, he hired a personal trainer to help him keep pushing forward.
In the gym, Mulley focused on muscle-building exercises such as squats and the bench press. He worked out three to four times a week.
Mulley with his mother after losing 100lb on his weight-loss journey
Mulley in July last year after losing more than 300lb
When working with his trainer, the fitness coach urged Mulley to agree to raise his calorie intake to 1,800 per day.
Mulley accomplished the task by eating more lean protein, such as turkey meat and chicken breasts, and learning to make healthy versions of his favorite foods.
Rather than the store-bought version, he would make his own pizza – which he had two or three times a week – using a low-fat, high-protein dough and topping it with a small amount of tomato, cheese and turkey pepperoni.
Over the next 17 months, Mulley continued to lose weight rapidly, shedding about 10lbs a month until June 2024, when he reached 280lb.
At this point, he stayed on the diet and exercise plan, but said that his weight loss began to slow.
Mulley told the Daily Mail that he never had a specific goal weight in mind, instead making it his target to be able to move easily and do anything he wanted to do without his weight or size getting in the way.
He added that he considered weight loss drugs, but opted against them because they were only just emerging.
‘They weren’t really mainstream when I started all of this,’ he told the Daily Mail. ‘And by the time they had become a thing, I was already at a place where I was confident in my success enough that I didn’t need them.’
The above compares Mulley’s facial features at the start of his weight loss journey (left) and after losing more than 300lbs (right)
Since the weight loss, Mulley was then left with large amounts of loose skin on his arms, legs and torso that he estimates weighed nearly 50lbs
In early 2025, he had a procedure to remove 22lb of loose skin from his torso, and this past January, he had a second surgery to remove 26 more pounds of skin from his arms and legs.
Earlier this year, Mulley also had LASIK eye surgery to correct his vision and allow him to see without glasses or contacts.
Mulley, who loves to play ice hockey, played again for the first time last winter after losing weight. Having last played the sport consistently when he was 16, Mulley is excited that his improved vision will make it easier for him to play more.
Mulley told the Daily Mail he is thrilled with the results of all of his surgeries.
He continues to share his journey on social media via the account progressive.overhaul. He often posts videos in nothing but his underwear and has used the account to start a new job as a coach for people looking to lose weight.
He told the Daily Mail that his account is, at times, targeted by negative comments. But, he added, if the content helps just one person, he is happy and feels like he has done his job.
‘As long as you don’t give in to those thoughts, as long as you keep showing up for yourself and continue to push yourself to be a better person and be a better version of yourself, then you will eventually find success,’ Mulley told the Daily Mail.
‘I love myself and my new life more than I ever loved food. It’s really that simple.’
